


Questions

by westernsunset



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Gen, ace kel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 10:49:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17058395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westernsunset/pseuds/westernsunset
Summary: Kel dodges questions about marriage, suitors and babies.--written for The_Big_Wee_Hag for fiefgoldenlake's wishing tree!





	Questions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The_Big_Wee_Hag](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Big_Wee_Hag/gifts).



“Are you looking forward to seeing your family Lady Knight? It’s been some time,” Sergeant Kortus said as the two were on patrol around Snow’s Pass, a new fort set up at the border with Galla.

“Of course,” Kel nodded. It wasn’t even a lie where she needed to modify her face. She was looking forward to seeing her family, she always loved seeing her nieces and nephews grow up. But she was nervous too. Once she turned twenty-five, she was officially older than all of her siblings had been when they married. Even Conal had settled down eventually, but not only was Kel unmarried, she had no serious suitors.

That suited Kel just fine. There had certainly been people she’d been close to, interested in knowing better, but the older she got, the more she realized that marriage, men, sex, it all wasn’t for her.

She’d asked Neal about it once, a year or so ago. She could have gone to a female healer, but somehow she knew it would be better if she talked with someone who knew her. Obliquely, she’d hinted at whether or not it was a problem if someone was just fundamentally not interested, nor did they desire, sex, which everyone else in the world seemed so focused on. The look in Neal’s eyes told Kel that he knew what this was about, but he did her the courtesy of not mentioning it. Instead, he told her it didn’t sound like a problem, but he wasn’t sure, and he set off to research it. 

Kel had completely forgotten about it, what with the leadership duties she found herself being given each year as it seemed like everyone around her groomed her for this or that position. But Neal had sought her out one night while they were working with the Own.

“Do you remember the question you posed to me about romantic desire?” Neal asked, closing Kel’s tent flap and speaking quietly.

“Something like that,” Kel lied. Of course she remembered but she didn’t want to seem too eager.

“I did a lot of reading back at the palace. It’s not as uncommon as you’d think, almost all of the Mithran priests are celibate, and so is everyone in service to the Goddess,” he said.

“It’s not—” Kel stopped herself, feeling a little bit of frustration begin to build in her chest.

“I know, it’s not the same thing, I read that too. There’s just not much there, but it’s nothing for anyone to worry about I think. Seems perfectly normal to me,” Neal finished.

Kel nodded, and opened her mouth to thank Neal for looking into it, but he cut her off.

“If you ever ah…need to talk to someone you know I’m—”

“Yes Neal, I know. Thank you. Now go, I have figures to work out,” she said, turning back to supply rations.

Her friends slowly, each in turn, stopped pestering her about suitors. If Kel noticed that Neal would take them aside and mention something, she didn’t say anything. She certainly didn’t want to talk about it with her friends, so whatever Neal was telling them seemed to work. But she knew she’d still have to face the questions when she went home. And that, she was not looking forward to.

—

As always, the Mindelan castle was chaotic. Children of all ages ran underfoot, chased after by tired nursemaids or even more exhausted parents. After sending Tobe to the stable with their horses, Kel stood almost completely unnoticed in the front entryway. A short woman rushed in to scoop up a toddler and did a double take.

“Keladry!” There were more lines around the woman’s face but Kel recognized Anders’ wife Vorinna immediately. “We were hoping you’d arrive today! Come, your mother was just setting up tea. She’s in the formal sitting room. I just have to drop this little one off, but I’ll come join you soon, go, she’s so excited to see you.”

Kel always forgot how energetic Vorinna was. She talked so fast, it was impossible for Kel to get a word in edgewise most of the time. Looking forward to warm tea after a two days on the road, Kel went to the sitting room, but not before letting one of the servants know to send Tobe to her when he was doing getting acquainted with all the Mindelan horses.

Kel knocked lightly and her mother looked up from a book. “Keladry! I’m so glad to see you, come!”

Kel went to hug her mother, knowing she preferred that to a bow. “How was the journey?”

“Fairly easy for this time of year. I left word that Tobe can come here for food.”

“Of course he can,” her mother said, pouring some tea for Kel. “I was so thrilled you had time to come and see us, I feel like you’re flung to all corners of the realm these days.”

A small smile. “His Majesty and The Own keep me busy,” Kel said, allowing her chest to swell a little with pride.

“More than that! I don’t know what they’d do without you at this point,” her mother said, beaming. “You must be so busy.”

“Not as much now, with the war over. Lots of it is patrols, shoring up defenses on the borders. Important, but not as challenging as a couple years ago.”

“Thank the Goddess for that. And how’s Neal? I heard Yuki’s pregnant again.”

“I know, and Cathala is already such a handful. But it seems like Neal is determined to have a a big family,” Kel said. Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. She’d just given her mother a perfect opening to pry into Kel’s life.

And her mother didn’t miss it. “And you? Anyone you’re…anyone special?”

Despite her best efforts, Kel blushed. “No Mama, like I told you, I—” Too late Kel remembered she actually had just told her mother she wasn’t that busy.

“Is marriage…is it something you’re interested in?” her mother asked softly.

Kel felt her heart seized in an iron grip and her mouth went dry. She took a long, slow breath to calm herself down. “No, not particularly,” she said, keeping her voice from wavering.

Her mother nodded. “I just worry—”

“Lady Kel! The horses are so wonderful! The ponies were hilarious, so many stories about your nephews! Oh, are those cakes for us!?” Tobe burst in, still a little dusty from the stables, going right to the food.

“Tobe, it’s polite to greet everyone in the room before you take their food,” Kel said gently.

Tobe’s eyes went big. “Sorry,” he said, bowing to Lady Ilane. “Thank you so much for hosting us, my lady. May I have some of your cakes?”

Kel saw her mother’s lips twitching, but she didn’t laugh. “Of course you can.” Tobe went right back to helping himself to cakes.

“The horses are all settled, my lady,” Tobe said, between bites.

“Thank you. If you’d like, you can explore or play before dinner,” Kel had noticed some forms behind the keyhole, likely her nephews excited about a new playmate. “Just be careful.”

“Thank you!” Tobe said. “May I be dismissed?”

“Yes of course,” Kel said. “Don’t run indoors!” She called after him.

It was quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry Mama, what were you saying,” Kel said.

Now her mother did laugh. “I was going to say I worry that you’ll be lonely, but I should have realized that you’ll always be surrounded by people who you care about and who care for you. That’s all a mother can ask for.”

Kel nodded, not looking at her mother and feeling some tears prick behind her eyes. “Thank you,” she said, a little hitch in her voice.

The door burst open again. “Can we have cakes too?!” came a chorus of young voices, and Kel and her mother beckoned the other children in with a laugh.


End file.
